


A New Sunrise

by Darazelly



Series: A Collection of Moments [5]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Mentions of dead spouse, Mentions of mature themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 12:02:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5743147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darazelly/pseuds/Darazelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The morning after their first night together, Lavellan reflects on their relationship, her past and the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> Drabble of the morning after the desk scene. I have a fic covering that scene, but I felt like this could stand independent of it.

Elshira woke with a deep inhale, instinctively turning to snuggle closer to the warm body next to her while tugging the covers up to her chin. The scent of fur, elderberries and sandalwood filled her nose. It felt familiar, intimate.

Safe. 

Slowly, she blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked up to find Cullen’s features relaxed with sleep, his bare chest rising and falling with each slow breath.

A small smile spread on her lips as the memories of the past night instantly came back to her; the feeling of his hands sliding over her skin, the heated kisses and soft-spoken words, how happy he’d looked...

With a content groan, she stretched out her legs and wiggled her toes. Her muscles ached pleasantly, like the satisfying burn after a long sparring match, the nature of it differentiated by the faint hum of pleasure still lingering in her limbs. Careful not to disturb him, she moved her hand under the covers so she could rest her arm over his chest once more. Under her palm, she could feel his steady heartbeat.

As she lay there, she could hear the muted sounds of Skyhold waking up, and knew she should probably get up to prepare herself for the day. But it’d been so long since she’d had this sort of closeness with anyone, and wanted to linger for just a little longer in this warm haven with him.

Everything about her upbringing was telling her that she should be full of shame for giving herself to a human so willingly, that she was betraying her heritage, her bloodline… the memory of Valen…

A frown creased her brow at the thought of her late husband, her fingers pausing where they’d been idly drawing small circles under one of Cullen’s collarbones as the dull, familiar sadness welled up in her chest once more.

What would he think, had his spirit suddenly reappeared from the beyond at this moment? It was almost twelve years since his death at the hands of bandits, and she had mourned him for many of them. There’d been a few offers of marriage from one or two hunters, mostly older ones who’d lost their own spouses years past. But she’d turned each one down, recognizing that the offers came more out of a sense of duty than honest feelings.

That wasn’t to say that she hadn’t shared her bed with a couple of men over the years. But they had all been the result of a mutual need for physical release, nothing more.

It was different with Cullen. She wanted to remain with him, to see what life might offer them after Corypheus’ defeat. And whatever her clan might think of that, well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.

She’d made her choice.

The clatter of hooves drifted up from the courtyard, accompanied by guards shouting back and forth. Feeling the call of her duties, Elshira pressed a kiss to Cullen’s shoulder before she reluctantly sat up, gathering the covers over her chest to try and retain some warmth.

Cullen shifted ever so slightly, but remained sprawled out on his back, still asleep. Knowing how guarded he could be, it felt so intimate to see him asleep. Smiling, she reached out and brushed back a few blonde curls from his forehead before trailing her fingertips down his cheek in a gentle caress. He was so different from Valen; broad of shoulders, even for a human, against the slim elven frame she remembered; his hair and skin fair instead of dark; his demeanour serious and cautious, not bold and reckless. 

Perhaps it was foolish to hope that Valen’s spirit wouldn’t care about who she was with, provided that she was happy.

And she was, Mythal be blessed, happier than in a long time, even with the pressures of their war against Corypheus. In Cullen, she had someone she could rely on. He’d become her rock long before he’d kissed her atop the battlements.

Shoving all the heavy thoughts aside, she leaned down and pressed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth before shuffling out of his bed.

“By the void it’s cold,” she hissed under her breath when the chilly air instantly assaulted her bare skin. Quickly, she retrieved her clothes from the floor, and pulled on her smalls and shirt before making her way over to the oak chest where he’d left her sash and foot wrappings the night before.

Taking the sash, she tip-toed over to the small basin he kept on a small table. As she poured up a little water from a clay jug, she curiously eyed the open shaving kit, seemingly similar in design as Varric’s. All of it was so sparse and practical. Sparing a glance at herself in the small, simple mirror hanging on the wall, she wet a corner of her sash and began wiping away the traces of their lovemaking from the inside of her thighs.

The sound of a harsh intake of breath made her pause and look back towards the bed. 

For split a second she thought Cullen had woken up, but worry quickly settled into her chest when she heard his distressed groans and saw how his eyes were screwed close while he moved as if struggling against an invisible enemy.

“No, leave me…”

Elshira crossed the distance back to the bed in a few quick strides, dropping her sash to the floor as she crawled over to his side of the bed. 

“Leave me…!”

Just as she raised a hand to touch his shoulder, Cullen shot up into a half-sitting position.

While gasping for breath, his warm brown eyes darted about in panic until he saw her kneeling next to him. With a deep exhale, he relaxed and slumped back against the bed with his eyes closed.

“Bad dream?” She asked softly as she settled down next to him.

“They always are,” he murmured in response. “Without lyrium, they’re worse.” 

The knot of worry in her chest loosened a little as she nodded understanding. He hadn’t told her everything about what had happened to him at Kinloch Hold, but she knew enough to be able to guess what the dream was about.

Cullen opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbow before raising his other hand to cup her cheek. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

A warm fluttering feeling spread through her chest as she smiled in reassurance. Creators, he was the one who had just woken up from a nightmare, yet he seemed more worried about her. Elshira leaned into his touch, briefly raising her hand to touch his before she reached out to caress his cheek. “You could let me worry a little.”

Cullen’s low laugh warmed her insides as she let him pull her down. “Alright,” he murmured before pressing his lips to hers.

Elshira hummed, smiling through the kiss. Cullen wrapped an arm around her waist as he lay back down, pulling her with him so she lay draped over his chest. Experience had taught them both to savour these quiet, private moments before they inevitably would have to hide away their feelings behind walls of professionalism once more.

As if on cue, the gentle clang of the Chantry bell sounded, officially signalling the start of the day. 

When they parted, they lingered with their foreheads pressed together.

“I love you,” she murmured. “I said that, right?”

“Yes, you did. And I love you too.”

Her happy giggle at his gentle words ebbed out into a pleased groan when his fingers slid along the length of one of her ears, pausing to rub the tip. “Don’t,” she sighed as she tilted her head to trail lazy kisses across his jaw. “Or I’ll barricade the doors and keep you here the rest of the day.”

She could feel the tremor of his chuckle reverberate through his chest. “Is that a threat or an offer?”

They shared a laugh at what they both knew were just simple, wishful teasing, before she pressed her lips to his in a firm kiss. He quickly reciprocated, gripping her waist tighter as she felt his other hand tangle in her hair. It stole her breath away every time he kissed her like this; slow but insistent, as if she was a rare treat to be savoured. When she felt his grip on her waist loosen, she took the silent cue and pulled away from him with a wide smile. Cullen eyed her with such a tender look in his eyes that she felt the familiar heat of a blush when he brushed his fingers against her cheek.

“One day,” she began as she clasped his hand in hers and paused to press a kiss to the back of his strong fingers, “we’ll have the time to spend at least half the day in bed.”

Cullen chuckled as he sat up and raised his other hand to cup her cheek “I look forward to that day,” he murmured and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Elshira leaned into him, and sighed happily when he loosely wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head under his chin. They stayed put for a few blissful minutes before the sudden sound of urgent knocking broke the silence. With lingering touches and looks, they redressed and braced themselves for the coming day, their hearts and minds a bit lighter than the day before.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, as usual you are more than welcome to point out any mistakes, as English isn't my first language. I've been working through a depression these past months, and this was the first time I felt vaguely coherent as I wrote.


End file.
